In the Netherlands, bike gear and accessories company BBB Cycling has introduced a line of plant-based bike care products. Sold under the simple brand name Bio, the line of assembly, maintenance, and cleaning products biodegrade within 28 days and are free of petrochemicals and microplastics. Examples include the BioSeal tire sealant, which is manufactured from […]
In Germany, Volkswagen has partnered with hemp materials startup Revoltech to use 100% biobased leather alternative for its interiors. Dubbed LOVR, Revoltech’s material is fully recyclable and compostable and could be deployed in Volkswagen models as soon as 2028. Kai Grünitz, Volkswagen’s Board Member for Technical Development, told Manufacturing Today India the car maker is […]
In California, sustainable outwear brand Outerknown is using seaweed-based fibers developed by North Carolina’s Keel Labs. Dubbed Kelsun, the seaweed-based biopolymer fibers are mixed with organic cotton for a new line of Outerknown’s much-loved Blanket Shirt. “Working with suppliers that share our love for the ocean is a great fit for Outerknown. I’m excited to […]
In Wisconsin, Michael Green Architects has designed a 55-story, 600-feet mass timber tower for the Marcus Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee that, if built, would be the world’s tallest timber skyscraper. The building would also include residences, offices, restaurants, retail, and public space. Brumunddal, Norway, currently boasts the world’s tallest timber building, at 280 feet. […]
In Nebraska, Governor Jim Pillen has signed an executive order “creating strict guidelines” for state agencies and its contractors to “protect the state’s agriculture industry, as well as consumers, from lab-grown meat.” The Governor also directed the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to initiate a rulemaking process to make sure that any lab-grown meat products sold […]
In Colorado, researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have developed an epoxy that could extend the usable life of wind turbine blades. Turbine blades have a finite usable life of about 20 years, but because the resins used to create the massive blades can’t be easily dissolved, the foam and carbon fiber that make […]
In Paris, biobased carboxylic acids producer AFYREN has signed a commercial contract with an undisclosed US nutraceutical ingredients manufacturer. Under the terms of the multi-year contract, AFYREN will provide its biobased acids for applications such as preservatives and flavors for nutritional supplements. “The multi-billion-dollar nutraceuticals market is expected to grow in the high-single digits over […]
In Germany, designer Laura Bordini has created packaging from microalgae that stimulates plant growth when it ends up in the environment. Called “By Osmosis,” the concept illustrates how packaging can have a useful second life, creating a circular process. Bordini sources the microalgae biomass from a waste disposal center in Lindlar, Germany. The concept has […]
In Brazil, Furf Design Studio and mycelium products maker Much have designed a biodegradable, sailboat-shaped urn for for the cremains of people who would like to be buried at sea. Dubbed Sail Funerary Urn, the poetic conveyance breaks down slowly in open air but will eventually decompose into the ocean. “[I]t is essential to remember […]
In North Carolina, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority has tapped CTK Bio for supply of compostable paper cups at the Charlotte Convention Center and NASCAR Hall of Fame. One of the key features of CTK Bio’s paper cups and paper products is that their lining is home compostable. Conventional paper cups typically contain a plastic […]
